State gas tax goes up

Washington drivers are paying a wee bit more for gas starting Tuesday, as the state’s gasoline tax went up by 1.5 cents to 37.5 cents a gallon. The increase is the last hike of a 9.5-cent increase that the Legislature approved in 2005 to fund nearly 300 transportation projects, including money for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

So, where does that put Washington in the gas tax ranking?

The nationwide average tax on gasoline is 49.4 cents per gallon (state and federal taxes), up 2.4 cents from January. That’s according to the July 2008 gasoline tax report by the American Petroleum Institute.